I Wish I Might
by Kathryn Claire O'Connor
Summary: The second installment in my "Star" series. The events surrounding David meeting Amanda and Olivia for the first time.
1. Chapter 1

Courage is not the absence of fear - it is the knowledge that something is more important than fear. ~ Ambrose Redmoon

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding _and_ eternal weight of glory; - 2 Corinthians 4:17 (KJV)

* * *

May 18, 2012

Amanda went down the steps of hers and Olivia's trailer. They had just gotten home from the high school and daycare, and Amanda found herself looking forward to a long weekend of staying at home. Doing housework, sure, but it was still at home.

She opened the mailbox and pulled out a stack of envelopes. Bill, bill, bi – Amanda froze. She stared at the name above the return address, hands shaking. A letter from him. From David.

_What on earth?_

She walked into the house, pulled out a chair at the Formica table in the kitchen, and sat, slowly opening the letter, as though she were afraid it would react.

_God, what is this? _she prayed, unfolding the letter.

A check fluttered onto the floor at her feet. She picked it up, unsure of what to make of this entire thing. Then her eyes registered the triple digit number staring up at her. 500 dollars!

Her thoughts mingled with her prayers. _There has got to be some mistake. Lord, this cannot be from the David that I know._

She began to read the letter, and within the second paragraph, it was like God was contradicting her.

_Recently I had a life changing experience. I began a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. I've still got a lot to work on, but He's helping me to make sense of my life and take more responsibility for who I am as a man._

She heard within herself that still, small voice saying, "I can do it. I can change him."

She kept on reading.

_For years, I've been afraid to admit that I have a daughter and I'm doing nothing to take care of her. _

_I see now that every child is a gift from God. I now know how wrong I've been and have asked God to forgive me for what I've done to you and Olivia. I'm writing this letter to tell you that I've decided to stop running._

_If you're willing, I'd like to meet with you and begin the process of rebuilding your trust. In time, and with your permission, I hope to meet Olivia personally and let her know that she has a father who cares about her._

_I have no other expectations. I'm only asking for a chance to be a part of Olivia's life. I'll wait for your response. _

_Until then, I have begun to pray for you and Olivia. I have enclosed a symbol of my commitment to begin doing my part to help with her care._

_Sincerely, _

_David Thomson_

Amanda stared at the letter, than the check; and reread the letter a couple of times. She looked up, looking at, and then staring through, Olivia as the young girl colored at the old coffee table in the living room.

_Lord, if this is Your will, show me._

* * *

May 20, 2012

Amanda knew that Olivia had developed a routine of sorts for Sunday nights, starting back in early March. After Amanda had tucked her in, turned off the light, and shut the door, Olivia would crawl out of bed and climb up to sit on the top of her toy box, staring out the window at the stars.

And she would say, "Starlight, star bright/ first star I see tonight/ I wish I may/ I wish I might/ have the wish/ I wish tonight. I wish that I might have my daddy."

Tonight was no exception as Amanda stood outside of her daughter's bedroom door and listened. Tonight, though, the childish words took on a new meaning, and Amanda realized something. As close as Olivia knew how, the four year old was praying. She was asking the sky – God – to give her daddy to her.

Amanda went into her bedroom and took the letter from David from the top drawer of her dresser. She sat on her bed, unfolding it, and reading it once again. What right did she have, honestly, to deprive Olivia of her father? None.

Olivia, in truth, was a gift that had been entrusted to her by the Lord, and Amanda knew, she just _knew_, that this was the will of the Lord. Olivia deserved to have David in her life. Simple.

Or not.

Amanda bowed her head and prayed aloud. "God, I know now that this is what you want me to do. Help me. And help Olivia. And… and help David."

Amanda lifted her head, sighed, and got ready for bed. In her pajamas, she retrieved the laptop and sat cross-legged on her bed, back against the headboard, staring at the blinking cursor on the word document.

"God, give me the words I need." She prayed.

Then she put her hands to the keyboard and began to write her reply.

_Dear David-_

_I was glad to hear that you had been saved. I, too, claim Jesus Christ as my Savior._

_As for the rest of your letter,_

Amanda took a deep breath.

_Both of us know that it came as a surprise, but I am glad that you wrote me. I am willing to meet with you. I'd be okay with meeting at the Elements Coffee Company here in town on the twenty-fifth._

_Olivia wants you in her life, but, honestly, I do not trust you. You're right in that, if you intend to regain my trust, it will be a process. But you know that. _

_As for our lives, we are doing well. I recently started a job as the librarian at Westover High School. Olivia, she prays for you. I am trying to do the same thing. _

_I am grateful for your prayers and the check, but I am confused. These aren't from the David that I knew. I am aware that that is what God is capable of, but I am hoping that you will be able and willing to explain yourself further when we meet. _

_I don't know what else I'm supposed to say, so I guess I'll leave it at that._

_Sincerely,_

_Amanda Williams_

_P.S. In case you were wondering, she has your name._

* * *

**This is the second installment in my "Star" series. Please R&R! Thanks!:)**


	2. Chapter 2

May 21, 2012

"Hey, Marsha?" Amanda poked her head into the teacher's classroom, empty except for aforementioned teacher, and asked, "Do you mind if I eat with you? I've got something that I'd like to show you."

"Come right on in." Marsha stood from her desk and dragged a chair over for Amanda. Amanda sat and they prayed and ate for a minute while Amanda gathered her nerve and Marsha let her do so.

Eventually, Amanda pulled the letter from David out of her pocket and laid it on the desk between her and Marsha, releasing a small sigh. Marsha glanced at the letter, then back up at Amanda, confusion in her blue eyes. Amanda nodded at it.

"Go ahead."

Marsha picked up the letter, still giving Amanda a concerned look. The sound of paper against paper and the whir of the air conditioner were the only sounds that reached their ears as Marsha scanned the letter. Amanda saw her friend's eyes widen when she saw the signature at the bottom of the page.

"Oh, wow." Marsha said at last. "What – What are you going to do?"

Amanda swirled a potato chip in her cheese dip as she answered, "I wrote him back and told him to meet me at Elements this Friday."

Marsha nodded slowly. "Well, I will definitely be praying for you three."

A ghost of a smile flickered across Amanda's face as she said, "Thanks."

Marsha nodded solemnly. Looking down at her tofu, she brightened suddenly.

"What?" Amanda asked.

Marsha winked at her. "Nothing. I'll get it to you tomorrow."

"Give me what?"

"You'll remember when you see it."

* * *

David pulled into his driveway after work and parked his car, climbing out. He retrieved his mail as he passed by the mailbox, whistling a hymn as he carried it inside. He shut the door with his foot, and flung himself into his lazy boy, flipping through the mail. Trash… bill… magazine…

Letter from Amanda.

David sat frozen, the tune dead on his lips. His hands shook a little as he hurriedly opened the letter. He read the first paragraph and smiled.

"Thank you, Lord!"

And then he read the second paragraph. The twenty-fifth. Friday, _this Friday_. He sent another prayer Heavenward, thanking God for the opportunity to meet with Amanda and pleading for help during that meeting.

He was glad to hear that Olivia wanted to know him, but wasn't surprised by Amanda's own take on the situation. He understood it, and didn't blame her a bit. He was glad that Amanda had a good job, and it thrilled him that Olivia prayed for him.

It was the "P.S." that took his breath away. Olivia had his last name? Why? He didn't deserve that gift.

He fell to his knees on the spot. "Lord, thank you for saving Amanda and for being with them even while I haven't been. Help me, God, to know what to say to her. Thank you for turning Olivia's heart towards me. Please help me as I try to win back Amanda's trust. God, please allow me to be a part of daughter's life, and help me to deserve the little girl that you've given me. Help me."

He continued praying and reading his Bible well into the night.

* * *

May 22, 2012

Amanda walked into her library the next morning, trying to decide whether or not to try to get information on David from Jade and Dylan. That wouldn't be right, though, really, she decided. And besides, how was she supposed to explain her sudden interest in him? Nuh-uh, it just wouldn't be worth the trouble.

She walked over and put her purse under her desk, doing a double take when she noticed a long, green strip on her desk. She picked it up, smiling and shaking her head when she read the words on it. "Meat Is MURDER!" The bumper sticker that Amanda had promised to put on her car should David ever come back to her.

* * *

David shot a sideways glance at his partner for the hundredth time that day, trying to rake up the courage to tell him about the impending events of the twenty-fifth, as he cleaned his gun at the gun range. He was there for some after work shooting practice with Adam, Shane, and Nathan. Things were winding down and the four men were sitting and standing at various positions around the two tables.

When David glanced at Nathan again a moment later, he jumped. The older man was staring right back at him, as though he was trying to figure out what was going inside of David's head.

Nathan ambled over to him and sat beside David at the table where David was all ready seated. "You wanna tell me what you're thinking about?"

David registered Adam and Shane watching them from the other side of the shelter.

He took a deep breath and answered, "I'm meeting with Amanda on Friday."

Nathan nodded, speaking for the group when he said, "We'll be praying."

* * *

May 25, 2012

David knew what fear was. As a law enforcement officer, he was no stranger to it. But there was absolutely nothing that could compare with what he was feeling as he parked his car in front of the coffee shop the following Friday evening. He had only this one chance to make a good first impression on Amanda.

He leaned forward until his forehead rested on the steering wheel. He prayed aloud, letting his earnest pleas fill his small car as he waited for Amanda to arrive. After a few minutes, a blue Camry pulled into the spot beside him and Amanda stepped out. However, David was so caught up in his prayer that he didn't notice.

* * *

**This is the second installment in my "Star" series. Please R&R! Thanks!:)**


	3. Chapter 3

Amanda closed her car door behind her, and sent a quick prayer heavenward. She barely glancing at the man in the adjoining vehicle via her peripheral vision. She did a double take, and then rolled her eyes. From what she could see of his face, David Thomson hadn't aged but maybe a day. And was he _sleeping_? She shook her head and knocked softly on the window of his car.

David's head snapped up and to the side to look at her. When it registered who she was, he hurriedly got out of the car.

"Amanda, right? It's been so long…"

"Right.

"Are you ready to go in?"

_Versus standing out in the parking lot? _Amanda nodded and started through the parking lot. When they got to the entrance, David reached around her and opened the door for her.

"After you."

"Thanks."

She hadn't had a man open a door for her in ages, not outside of church anyway. It was kind of nice.

"Sure." As they walked up to the counter to place their orders, he asked, "Since you recommended this place, do you come here a lot?"

"Whenever I can get away." Amanda answered.

David nodded. "I've never been here before, so what do you suggest?"

"For you? Straight black."

That's how he had always drunk coffee during college. Was it weird that she still remembered some of the little things about him that she had observed? They had never even been on a date together, just that one night, and the explosive argument a few months later in which he had walked out and never returned.

Her features visibly darkened as she recalled that mockingly bright afternoon in her apartment. She shook it away and turned her thoughts back to the present. David was standing there, holding both of their coffees and asking her where she wanted to sit. She grabbed her muffin.

She glanced around and took a seat at the nearest empty table.

He followed suit, and once they were situated, she said, "We might as well get down to business." She crossed her arms over her chest, ignoring her food. "Start talking."

So he did. The gist of his rather lengthy speech was, "I want to be there for Olivia. I want to be a part of her life and I'm sorry for everything that I said and have done. I want to make it right. I have a new life in Jesus Christ and I feel like this is what God wants me to do."

When he was done talking, both of them took a deep breath.

David sighed heavily. "I really am sorry for everything that I've done to you and Olivia. Or not done, for that matter. Can I have a chance with her? Please?"

Amanda thought for a tense minute, and David just let her.

"All right." She said after a while.

David collapsed back into his chair. "Thank you."

It was on the tip of her tongue to say, "Don't make me regret it," but Amanda refrained. She could tell that God had done a real work in David, and she decided to give him the benefit of the doubt.

She said instead, "I'd like to get to know you better, though, before you meet Olivia."

David nodded. "I get that." He smiled, but it was as though he was uncertain if he should. "What do you want to know?"

Amanda shrugged. "Whatever. Anything." She forced herself to lighten up, and smiled, saying, "Everything would be nice too."

David's smile widened and he leaned back, relaxing. "Well, I have an Irish Wolfhound named Duke. My partner's name is Nathan Hayes. The other deputies that I hang out with are Adam Mitchell and Shane Fuller."

"Wait." Amanda stopped him. "What? Do you know Dylan Mitchell or Jade Hayes?"

David nodded, looking confused. "Sure. Good kids. Wait," He connected the dots. "You work at Westover High. You know them, don't you?"

Amanda nodded.

David arched his eyebrows. "Huh. Neat."

"Or problematic." Amanda replied.

David's eyebrows drew together. "Why?"

"Well," Amanda smirked. "They have decided that the – and I quote – 'stupid, lamebrain, idiot' who hurt their favorite new teacher needs to be shot. And they've made their access to tasers and Glocks pretty clear."

David's eyes widened. "Oh boy."

Amanda nodded, feeling an unexpected laugh bubbling in the pit of her stomach. "What are we supposed to do about that, I wonder?"

"Keep our mouths shut, and maybe they won't figure out that it's me they're talking about?" David guessed. His face fell, and his eyes darkened as he said, "Although, they're not wrong."

Amanda's eyes fell to the muffin that she hadn't touched, and she licked her lips, trying to decide how to respond to that. "I don't know about that. I'm giving you a second chance, aren't I?"

David smiled softly at her. "Thanks."

Amanda found herself smiling back, and was surprised to realize that she meant it when she said, "You're welcome."

Since when had she decided to forgive David Thomson? Yet, she realized this as well, at some point during David's speech, she _had _forgiven him. And she couldn't help but trust him, just a little bit.

"Do you really mean that?" David asked uncertainly.

"Do I mean what?"

"That I deserve to," he shrugged. "Live?"

Amanda smiled down at her muffin, picking a chocolate chip off of the top. "I have learned… that sometimes, letting someone live with what they've done is crueler than killing them because of it."

David nodded. "Oh yeah. I know that's the truth."

Amanda looked him in the eye as he said this and saw the pain in his eyes.

"David, listen." She swallowed, promising herself that what she said would be the truth. "We all make mistakes. I forgive you. Okay? I forgive you. God has forgiven you. But you need to forgive yourself too."

David swallowed and hung his head, nodding.

"Promise me you'll try?"

David lifted his head and gave her a faltering smile. "I will." He gasped, a new light flying into his eyes. "Oh, I forgot to tell you about the Resolution."

Amanda allowed the change in subject. "Okay, what's that?"

"Adam Mitchell came up with it from the Bible…"

The night flew by, and the store was shutting down for the night when they left, somehow better friends than they had ever been before.

* * *

**This is the second installment in my "Star" series. Please R&R! Thanks!:)**


	4. Chapter 4

May 26, 2012

David's gaze scanned the street he was on, looking for lot number 13. He wanted to see for himself where Amanda and Olivia lived. A trailer park with next to no yard space. Not the nicest setting for a little girl to grow up in. When he found Amanda and Olivia's particular lot, he froze for two reasons. Amanda was outside, watering the potted plants sitting on the weathered old porch. She smiled and waved uncertainly when she realized that it was him.

He returned the gestures and drove on, pondering the second thing that he had noticed, something on her car that he hadn't noticed the previous night. A vegetarian bumper sticker.

He himself was a self-identified "baconitarian" as Shane had once put it. David had no idea what to do with this revelation. He would definitely have to consult the guys on this one.

* * *

Amanda watched David's car as he drove it further down the road. What had he wanted, she wondered. Giving it a mental shrug, she turned when she heard the old screen door squeak open. Olivia stumbled onto the porch, struggling not to spill her own cup filled with water for the plants.

"Who was that?" Olivia asked curiously, following her mother's gaze towards David's car.

Amanda smiled mildly and put a hand around her daughter's shoulders, brushing hair the same shade as David's out of the young girl's eyes. "You'll find out soon enough."

* * *

June 1, 2012

"Hey, David," Adam tapped David on the shoulder and he turned to look at the man sitting behind him in the muster room. "I'm gonna be grilling steaks again tomorrow. Are you coming?"

"Nah." David turned back around to face forward.

"Man, come on." Nathan snorted. "We've all ready established that you don't have a life. Don't pretend like you have plans for our benefit."

"It's been a hard week." Adam's gaze wandered to the empty seat beside him.

Shane's arrest yesterday had taken David totally by surprise. And it had taken an irreversible toll on every person in the sheriff's office.

Adam's eyes landed back on David. "We could use the chance to relax."

"Actually, I do have plans, and they will probably be very relaxing."

"Like what?" Adam laughed at the idea that David could have a way to spend Saturday that was preferable to eating grilled meat in his yard.

"A date."

Nathan almost spit out the swallow of coffee he had in his mouth. He managed to choke it down without spitting it on his partner, for which David was extremely grateful. "What?!"

David shrugged. "It's not really a _date_, just another meeting."

"With Amanda? Man, you've spent every evening this week talking with her!" Nathan protested.

Adam asked, "When is she going to quit interrogating you and let you meet Olivia? She does know that your daughter is yours too, right?"

David bristled, though he hid it well. "Sure. Amanda and I, we're friends. I don't mind at all. She's a good non-deputy outlet for stuff. And," David gestured minutely at Shane's empty chair. "That's what I need right now."

Adam and Nathan let him off the hook.

"All right." Adam replied. "I get that."

Personally, though, David wasn't sure exactly what it was that he felt for the beautiful brunette, Miss Amanda Williams.

* * *

Later that night, Amanda slid into one of the chairs at a table for two at one of David's favorite restaurants, Aunt Bea's Diner. According to David, this place was fast replacing Pearly's as the deputies' favorite place to grab a bite to eat, thanks to Nathan.

"The hamburgers here are to die for." David remarked, sitting down in the opposite seat. "Although, I guess that you won't want one of those, being a vegetarian and all."

"A vegetarian?" And then Amanda remembered the bumper sticker. "Oh-"

David kept talking, so she didn't get the chance to explain. "It kinda threw me for a loop, really."

Amanda raised her eyebrows, and leaned against the back of her chair, crossing her arms over her chest, merriment sparkled in her eyes. She decided to go with it for a minute.

"So what did the guys think about it?"

David smiled because she knew that he had discussed it with the guys. "Shane called me a serial killer. Adam, God bless him, kept his mouth shut."

Amanda laughed and asked, "What did Nathan say?"

David took a deep breath as the merriment vanished from his eyes. "He said, um… that we should get married."

Amanda sat straight up. "What?"

David sighed. "Because of Olivia."

Amanda had no idea how to respond to that. "It's been a bad week, huh?" she inquired softly.

David laughed dryly. "One of the not so great ones of my life. But one of the best too. It's been nice having you around, although I wasn't expecting to talk on the phone every night."

Amanda smiled. "Me neither. Hey, listen, I think that this week needs to end on a good note, what do you say? Why don't you come over to my place tomorrow morning? Spend the day with Olivia and me? We'd like to have you. She'd like to meet you, and I've had about all I can stand of 'I wish that I might have my daddy.'" Amanda's eyes widened. She hadn't meant for that last part to slip out.

David's eyebrows drew together. "What?"

Amanda sighed. "She started back on the first Sunday in March. Every Sunday night, Olivia gets out of bed after I turn out the light for her to go to sleep. She will climb onto the top of her toy box - it sits under the window in her room – and looks out at the stars. She says 'Starlight, star bright/ first star I see tonight/ I wish I may/ I wish I might/ have the wish/ I wish tonight. I wish that I might have my daddy.' Every Sunday night, I kid you not. It's been killing me." Amanda confessed tightly.

David sat back slowly in his chair, looking a little awestruck. "Wow."

It was on her way to pick up Olivia that Amanda realized that she had never gotten around to telling David that she wasn't a vegetarian.

* * *

**This is the second installment in my "Star" series. Please R&R! Thanks!:)**


	5. Chapter 5

June 2, 2012

Amanda looked nervously around the trailer, biting her lip. Everything looked okay. Hopefully she hadn't forgotten anything, the last thing that she needed was for anything to go wrong today.

She shook her head at herself. "Who are you trying to impress? It's just David."

_Just David… _she couldn't have said that a week ago.

"Mommy," a sleepy voice floated from the entrance to the hallway.

Amanda turned to see Olivia standing in her purple pajamas, one hand fisted and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, the other hand curled around the arm of her favorite stuffed animal, a dingy, much-loved rabbit that was currently dragging the ground.

"Who's David?"

Amanda started. Granted, whenever Amanda had called David, it had been after Olivia had gone to bed, and Olivia hadn't known who her mother was eating out with those couple of times, but still… had she really said that little about her daughter's father? She thought for a second and came up empty except for a handful of times that she had voiced the name in front of Olivia.

"Um… David… is a friend of mine who's coming over to spend the day with you. I'll tell you more while we eat breakfast together, how does that sound?"

Olivia nodded and headed for her seat at the table. "Okay."

Amanda took a deep breath and let it out slowly as she turned her back to Olivia and poured two bowls of frosted flakes. Here went nothing.

* * *

David was literally shaking as opened the door of his car. He grabbed the gift he had brought for Olivia out of the passenger seat as Amanda stepped out of the trailer with Olivia. David got out and shut the door of his car, waving at the duo coming down the porch steps. Amanda waved back and Olivia sent him a shaky smile that ended in her biting her lip.

So she was as nervous as he was.

David met mother and daughter in the middle of the yard. He swallowed, casting a terrified glance at Amanda. She nodded minutely, giving him an encouraging smile.

William Barrett's warning rang in David's ears. _You will need courage, courage, courage._

David dropped down to one knee, now at his daughter's eyelevel, his gaze now focused entirely on Olivia. "Hi there, Olivia, I'm David."

Olivia gazed cautiously back at him with wide, uncertain chocolate brown eyes, halfway hidden behind her mother.

"I brought you something." He held out the gift tied with a pink bow as a peace offering of sorts.

Amanda pressed her fingertips between Olivia's shoulder blades and the young girl took one small step forward, stretching her hands out for the gift. She smiled softly and David grinned back, watching the morning light play off of her cropped brown locks.

Miss Olivia Thomson had her daddy's hair and her mommy's eyes and smile.

"Why don't we go inside?" Amanda suggested. "Then you can open the present that Daddy got you."

Olivia blinked up at her mother, nodding. She still hadn't said a word, obviously determined not to move farther from her mother's side than was necessary. David stood back to his full height, watching his daughter watching him.

He was beginning to get the feeling that Amanda had gone easy on him. Olivia… well, she looked like she was going to be harder to convince.

* * *

Olivia watched this new man that had come to see her and Mommy. There had always been somebody – some guy – trying to get Mommy's attention. Olivia knew that they had all wanted to be Mommy's special friend, but none of them ever lasted very long. And by now Olivia had started to realize that she was almost always the reason that they never lasted.

Most people Mommy's age were either married or dating, and if they weren't married, they didn't have kids. So it just made sense that the fact that Mommy had a kid was the problem.

This guy was different from the other guys, sort of. Sure, some of them had brought presents for her to make Mommy happy with them, but they always brought presents for Mommy first and gave Olivia presents as an afterthought. But this guy, David, or Daddy, or whoever he was, had brought Olivia a present first, and there wasn't one for Mommy.

Could he… did he want _her _to like him, not just Mommy? Was _she_ important this time too?

Olivia crawled into her mother's lap on the couch, still holding the present that David-Or-Daddy-Or-Whoever-He-Was had given her.

"Are you going to open the present?" Mommy asked gently.

Olivia looked down at the gift in her hands and tugged at the pretty pink bow for a minute before holding it up for Mommy to help her with. She couldn't get it to come undone. It wouldn't open for Mommy either. Now what?

"Here." David-Or-Daddy-Or-Whoever-He-Was said softly.

Kneeling down in front of her and Mommy, he and pulled a Swiss army knife out of his back pocket. He slid it under the under the ribbon and cut it open just like that. Olivia gave him a little smile of thanks and then started in on the wrapping paper.

A brown cardboard box. Well, that didn't tell her anything. And her short fingernails didn't do anything against the packing tape that kept it closed. She sighed and handed it directly to the man with the knife. He smiled, and Olivia felt the air on her neck stir from Mommy's small laugh. He sliced the packing tape in two with his knife, and tilted the now open box towards her so she could see what was inside.

Olivia couldn't help the small smile that tugged at the corner of her mouth when the guy pulled a comically nervous face and asked, "What is it? Is it gonnna bite me?"

She leaned forward, craning her neck to see the contents of the box, and shook her head.

"No?" He asked.

Olivia kept her eyes on the stuffed animal – a rabbit – lying in the box. She picked it up carefully, as her eyes lost their seriousness.

"Um… yes!" She lunged off of Mommy's lap, holding the rabbit out in front of her, and growled, "Raaahrrrrr."

The man was startled, falling on his backside on the carpet. Olivia slapped her hand not holding the bunny over her mouth to cover her giggle and behind her Mommy laughed. The man looked at her strangely and then joined in, laughing at himself.

She decided that he had a nice laugh.

Huh. Maybe this guy was going to be okay for her and Mommy. But just maybe.

* * *

**This is the second installment in my "Star" series. Please R&R! Thanks!:)**


	6. Chapter 6

David was enthralled by the little girl that stood in front of him, currently hiding behind her hand the smile that he wanted so badly to see. He decided on the spot that even if it was the last thing he ever did, he would see that smile.

Now he just had to figure out how to do it. He threw a glance around the living room, looking for inspiration, and his gaze landed on a basket of Olivia's' toys in the corner. Front and center of the top were two twin toy guns. Well, he could definitely work with that.

"It's gonna eat me!" He said loudly.

Olivia took an ominous step closer while holding the rabbit out in front of her, an ornery glint in her chocolate-drop colored eyes. David scrambled backwards across the floor, towards the basket. He snatched up one of the guns and pointed it towards the rabbit. He couldn't decide if he was purposely making his hands shake or what was going on with that, but that didn't matter.

Olivia yelped and clutched her new toy to her chest. She narrowed her eyes, seeing the gun still in the basket, and David could see the smoke rolling in her head. She darted at him, going for the gun behind him, and he desperately wanted to catch her up in his arms, but he knew better. He didn't want to ruin the moment.

She grabbed the gun and jumped back. "Shoot him, bunny." She ordered the toy.

"Now, hold on a second!" David objected. "I'm a deputy! I'm supposed to be the good guy here!"

Olivia cocked her head to the side in curiosity and asked, "Like Barney?"

David laughed. "Yes, like Barney."

Olivia narrowed her eyes again and raised her eyebrows, issuing the dare, "You can't catch me."

"Oh, yes, I could."

"Nuh-uh!" Olivia shot off down the hallway.

David looked in amazement at Amanda. "What just happened?"

Amanda smiled at him as though she wasn't sure what had just grown out of him – angel wings or a second head – and said, "It looks to me like you are playing with your daughter."

David picked himself up off the floor, taking a deep breath.

"And – just a tip – chances are that she's holed up in the closet in her bedroom. Give her enough time, and she might toss everything out of her toy box and crawl in there for awhile. But you didn't hear any of that from me."

David smiled. "Thanks."

"Well," Amanda jerked her head towards the hallway. "Get down there, Barney, the hunt is on."

David rolled his eyes and struck a defensive pose with the gun in his hands. Amanda laughed, and David smiled, loping down the hallway.

He wondered for a second, _Is this what home feels like?_

He ducked his head inside one room after the other until he came to a room with pink walls and flower decals on the walls. This had to be Olivia's room. He stepped heavily across the threshold, the sound his footstep made alerting Olivia to his presence, assuming that she was in here.

Toys weren't scattered everywhere, so he assumed that they were in their box, meaning that Olivia would be in the closet.

"Hm…" he said in a stage voice. "Not under the bed… not in the toy box…" David stepped up to the door of the closet and put his hand on the door handle. "Maybe she's in the closet…"

He flung the door open, holding the gun in front of him, as he had been taught to do during his training, and Olivia squealed. She scooted back until her back was pressed up against the wall.

David knelt down and grinned. "Rahr. I told you that I could find you. "

Olivia looked at the gun that she held in her hand and David recognized the look in her eyes. He jumped up. "Oh, no, you ain't shooting me!"

Olivia grinned and jumped up. "Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"

David staggered dramatically back a couple of steps, clutching at his heart. "Oh, oh!" He dropped to his knees, coughed once, and fell forward onto his stomach, eyes closed. A second of silence passed.

"Hey." He heard Olivia walk out of the closet. "Mister?" She sounded like she was getting worried. "I know you're not dead." She finished in a small voice," Are you?"

David popped up onto his knees. "Nope."

He smiled when she did.

"Meany!" she accused.

David laughed when she swung at him with an adult's red jacket that she was holding. Then he caught the caption on the front of it.

"Hey, what's that?" he asked, moving to a sitting position on the floor.

She looked at the jacket in her hands. "It's a jacket."

"Yeah, I know. Who's is it?"

"I think that it's my daddy's." she revealed, coming to stand at his shoulder. "I can't read what the tag says, but the letters look like the ones in my name."

She sat down beside him and showed him the tag. Sure enough, there in bold black sharpie letters it read "Thomson".

_So that's where this thing went to!_

"It says 'Thomson', right?" Olivia asked.

"It sure does."

"Don't tell Mommy that I have it, okay?" she looked at him anxiously. "She doesn't remember it and I don't know if she would like it because it's my daddy's -" She got a strange look in her eyes, and David saw it clicking in her mind when she said slowly, "Yours…"

David nodded.

"Do you want it back?"

David thought for a second. "Well, since it says 'Thomson', I guess that means that it could be yours too, couldn't it?"

Olivia thought about this very seriously for a second before she nodded. "I guess."

"Then it's yours if you want it."

"Really?"

David nodded.

Olivia grinned at him. "Thanks!"

"You're very welcome."

Olivia cocked her head at him, curiosity in her eyes. "Can you still wear it?"

"What?"

She held it out to him. "Does it still fit?"

"I don't know." David shrugged into the jacket, and held his arms out for inspection. "I guess so."

Olivia nodded as if it were a matter of great importance. "Let's go show Mommy."

* * *

**This is the second installment of my "Star" series. Please R&R! Thanks so much!:)**


	7. Chapter 7

Amanda made her way into the kitchen, listening in awe to the sounds of laughter and the occasional squeal or scream that was currently floating to her ears from her daughter's bedroom. So far, so good. This was going better than she had dared to hope it would.

"Thank you, Father!" she prayed aloud, turning on the faucet over the sink.

She had just buried her arms up to her elbows in sudsy dishwater when Olivia called from the kitchen doorway, "Mommy, look."

Amanda turned to look at her daughter, but what caught her eye was something that had to be a flashback, not that she'd ever had one, but this had to be what it was. David was standing at Olivia's side wearing a familiar red Valdosta state jacket that Amanda wasn't supposed to know that Olivia had. And for a split second, Amanda could have sworn that she was back on that college campus, admiring the fine physic of her then fellow student, dreaming about the day that he would… She squashed the thought right there. Those were thoughts that she had sworn to never _ever _revisit. They were way more trouble than they would ever be worth.

She cleared her throat. "What, Liv?"

"Do you like his jacket?" Olivia asked innocently.

Amanda's gaze skittered up to David before she forced it back down to their child. _Their _child. Her insides started clenching, and twisting, and turning to mush all at once. _Oh, no, don't you dare think like that! That's an order. Olivia is _yours_. Are we clear? Good._

Amanda cleared her throat for a second time. "Yes, he looks very nice. I guess. If you like that sort of a thing."

And now she was rambling. Not good. _Get a hold of yourself, Williams! For the love of sanity, this is _David _we are talking about here! You know how much good comes out of going down that road with him! Get a grip._

David smiled at her - Olivia did too, although Amanda didn't notice - and she could have sworn that he could read her thoughts. Of course not; that was scientifically impossible. No, nu-uh, nope.

Amanda swallowed and turned back to the few breakfast dishes that she had to deal with.

From behind her, David asked, "Do you want some help with those?"

She almost laughed with shock and turned her head to look at him. "What?"

He smiled and gestured towards the sink. "Do you want some help? Since Saturday is your only day off besides Sunday - which is when you're at church - I assume that Saturday is your day for cleaning." He shrugged. "At least that's what I know that I do."

Amanda just stared at him. The David Thomson that she had thought she knew – at least before this past week – would have never have offered to do the dishes, no matter how few there were. And a designated day for cleaning? Not a chance. But, hey, this new - and much improved - David Thomson was turning out to be a pretty nice fella.

"Um, no. You - you go on and play with Olivia. There's not that many to do."

David rolled up the sleeves of his jacket, looking down at Olivia. "Then it won't take us long at all, will it, Princess?"

"Princess?" Olivia whispered in hopeful surprise.

"Sure. You don't mind if I make you my little princess, do you?"

Amanda practically melted when Olivia shook her head, looking at David as if he'd just given her the best present in the world. She had never seen her daughter take to someone so quickly, and certainly not so thoroughly. It would appear that against the better judgment of both mother and daughter, they were both thoroughly enamored with David Thomson.

"Okay, fine," Amanda grabbed a hand towel and dried off her hands. "You two can take care of the last of these dishes and I will start in with the vacuum cleaner, how about that?"

"That's fine by me." David replied.

"I know how to dry dishes." Olivia informed her father, tugging a chair from the table towards the sink.

"I'm sure you can. Now we can get the job done in record time."

Amanda didn't have the heart to tell him that it would take at least twice as long. And she didn't figure it would really make a difference to him anyway. She smiled to herself, shaking her head as she retrieved the vacuum.

Fifteen minutes later, Amanda paused by the doorway to the kitchen, watching as she came by with the vacuum. She turned off the vacuum and stood in the doorway, just watching. Olivia's front was thoroughly drenched and David's jacket – something that he had at one time prized – had fared no better, if not worse. The icing on the cake was the bubbles that were piled on top of Olivia's pert little nose.

The dishes were done though.

"What is going on in here?" Amanda asked.

Both father and daughter turned guiltily towards her. David glanced towards the floor, but his gaze flew back up to hers when he noted the water that was in puddles near the sink.

Amanda sighed, smirking at the duo.

"The dishes are all done." Olivia volunteered.

Amanda nodded. "I noticed. Thank you."

"We were playing." Olivia added.

"Oh, I noticed that too. Why don't you go put on some dry clothes, okay?"

Olivia nodded and scrambled down off of her chair, heading down the hallway.

"I'm guessing that mopping up is next on my to-do list?" David asked, grinning sheepishly.

Amanda shook her head and grabbed the towel that Olivia had been using. She put it right back down when she noticed that it, too, was soaked through. "It's fine."

"I'm trained in search and rescue, so either you get me the mop or I'll turn your kitchen upside down looking for it."

Amanda arched her eyebrows at him, but, realizing that he was serious, she got the mop from the closet and handed it to him. "Have fun."

"I have been." David shot back. "She's an amazing kid."

What Amanda thought was, _She has an amazing father. _What she said was, "Thanks."

"You're welcome. Hey," David switched gears as he began to mop. "Do you have a job once school lets out for the year?"

"School was over Friday. I have another few day's work in the library, but I start another job for the summer on next Friday."

"Where at?"

Amanda smiled. "It's a surprise."

"Well, how am I supposed to know what it is?" David objected.

"Oh, you'll figure it out. I have no doubt about that."

"I could always just ask Olivia."

Amanda wrung the hand towel out over the sink. "So you would use your child _and _ruin my surprise? That's low, Thomson."

David shook his head, his thoughts all his own.

"What has she been calling you?" Amanda asked, leaning against the counter.

David stopped mopping and leaned against the handle, giving the question his full attention. "Well, so far I've only gotten 'mister'. I don't think that she knows what to call me, really."

"What do you want her to call you?" Amanda asked, although she already knew the answer.

David got a pained look in his eyes and he looked off to the side. "I would love for her to call me 'Dad' or something, but if she won't, I get that. I don't deserve that."

Amanda bit the inside of her lip, but her eyes widened when she noticed Olivia standing uncertainly in the kitchen doorway.

* * *

David caught the direction of Amanda's gaze and followed it. Olivia was studying him with a thoughtful look on her face.

"Your hair is like mine." She pointed out.

"You think so, do you?" David asked.

Olivia nodded, pulling a lock of her hair into her line of sight to double check. "Uh-huh."

"I guess you're right about that."

Olivia blinked before revealing carefully, "I'd like to call you 'Daddy', if you'd like it."

"I would like it very much." David choked out.

Olivia smiled and ran across the kitchen towards him. She slipped on a puddle, but David caught her before she could go down.

"I've gotcha." He whispered.

"I know." Olivia answered, wrapping her arms around his neck. David carefully wrapped his arms around his precious little girl, closing his eyes and just taking in the moment as she murmured, "I love you, Daddy."

"I love you too, Princess."

* * *

**This is the second installment of my "Star" series, and said installment is now complete. Keep a look out for the third in the series, "Have the Wish." Please R&R! Thanks so much!:)**


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